Eight Steps to Lower Electricity Bills

Experts weigh in on how to reduce energy use in your home

Johnson Controls knows that energy efficiency has never been more important than now.

Energy savings aren’t just important to massive companies or populous communities. They’re every bit as critical to individual homeowners. Even minor changes can add up to substantial savings.

Here are eight things you can do in your home to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your energy efficiency.

1. One of the easiest and most effective energy upgrades available to homeowners is to use a programmable thermostat. These can be preset to adjust heat and air conditioning systems to consume less energy during certain times, such as during the day when many homes are empty.

“Since heating and air conditioning are two of the most expensive energy consumers in a home, a programmable thermostat is an easy way to enjoy significant savings,” says Andy Armstrong, Johnson Controls’ director of marketing for Unitary Products.

2. Upgrade lighting systems, which are responsible for up to 35 percent of electrical costs in commercial buildings, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. Replace conventional light bulbs with more energy-conscious compact fluorescents, which use about 75 percent less energy and last eight to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

3. Reduce hot water temperature (most buildings set water temperatures too high), reduce system pressure, and install low-flow toilet and sink fixtures, suggests the Alliance to Save Energy. This helps to reduce both energy and water costs.

4. Take a quick look at your home’s insulation. While upgrades to wall insulation are rather involved, adding a few inches to attic insulation is a snap—just buy the insulation and roll it out or blow it in on your own.

5. Maintain heating and cooling systems. Have them serviced at least once a year to ensure they’re clean and operating at peak efficiency. If they’re outdated, Armstrong urges consumers to consider upgrading. Current systems are far more energy-efficient than their counterparts from years past. And this provides an opportunity to install a vastly more efficient system, such as Johnson’s York heating and air conditioning systems. For instance, York’s Affinity 9.C is the highest-rated gas furnace in the industry (its 98 percent efficiency rating far exceeds government standards and ensures standout efficiency and quick payback). For more information about York home-energy solutions, go to yorkupg.com/homeowners/index.asp.

6. Walk around your house to identify leaks and other sources of energy loss. Leakage from areas such as ductwork joints, elbows and connections can waste up to 30 percent of the energy used to heat or cool a space, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.

7. Block air that comes under exterior doorways and through light switches and electrical outlets. Install insulation covers designed for the outlets. If you put the back of your hand near those outlets, you’ll feel air coming in. Collectively throughout your home that’s a lot of energy loss.

8. Calculate your carbon footprint at mygreenprint.org and see ways to reduce energy use even more.